VIDEO: RAFAEL NADAL OPENS SCHOOL IN INDIA

Rafael Nadal lost early in Shanghai, but made up for it by doing some great work in India – both on and off the court. Via RafaelNadal.com:

The Rafa Nadal Foundation together with the Vicente Ferrer Foundation have celebrated the inauguration of their first school in India, located in the district of Anantapur, in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, where the Vicente Ferrer Foundation has been working for the past 40 years implementing a development program. Rafa Nadal, accompanied by his mother, Ana Maria and representatives of the Vicente Ferrer Foundation cut the first of what hopefully will be many ribbons.

The aim of this new school is to offer educational, psycho-social, health and nutritional support to more than a hundred children who belong to the poorest communities in the country, such as the ‘dalits’ or untouchables, tribal groups and the so-called disadvantaged castes. Through the implementation of tools such as education and sports (particularly tennis) they plan to integrate all the boys and girls from different castes, ages and places. During the opening ceremony on October 17th, Rafa Nadal played tennis with the students of his new school and looked very happy to have had the chance to do spend some time with them, “I’m really happy to be here visiting the school and meeting the children who will study here. I hope they will like it and I hope this project will help them to get an education and to have all they need. I wish to see those who will study here have a new life when I come back in a few years time”.

Some video of Rafa’s time in Anantapur:

I’m going to say it again – we tennis fans are lucky to have such wonderful role models playing our favorite sport! Vamos, Rafa!